Make Your Home Cozy on a BUDGET
Whether you live in a dorm, apartment, or house, you are faced with the challenge of turning your campus living into a home away from home. As the air cools downs and the stress of the semester turns up, students are spending more and more time inside. With the holiday season around the corner, it is more important than ever that you feel at home on campus.
How are we supposed to decorate our place cozily while sticking to a college budget? Here are a couple of tips and tricks to make your place comfy and keep your bank happy:
Have a few staple pieces, but make the little things count. It is important for the aesthetic to have a few big pieces in your home: shelves, tables, or wall decor. However, accent these pieces with smaller decor. You can find picture frames, trinkets, fake plants, and other things at stores like Target and Home Goods. You can even find some cute floating shelves at Five Below. It is amazing what you can make of smaller items if you accept the challenge. The more decor you have, the cozier your place will feel. That is why you should lean towards the smaller and cheaper items.
Be creative with your wall decor. You don’t need artwork for every wall in your place. You can fill up wall space in tons of different ways. It is important to have pictures on your walls for a little reminder of friends and family. Not to mention, pictures and frames are significantly cheaper than canvases. One of the best ways to cover up blank space is by hanging blankets. You can buy a few simple hooks from Walmart to install in your living room or bedroom and hang your blankets on them. This also creates a warm and cozy feeling in the room. Assuming you already have blankets, this project maxes out at $10.
Don’t forget to celebrate the holidays at your campus home. Home is always a little more comfortable when it is decorated for the season. Fall is filled with holidays that have great opportunities for decor. It is the time to go out and buy your pumpkins and lights. You do not have to go all out. A seasonal candle or two can do the trick.
It is important to hit the stores at the beginning of the season so that nothing is picked over. The Target Dollar Spot is filled to the brim with seasonal decor, all for under $5. Twinkle lights are another cheap find that can take your apartment from plain to festive for around $6.
There is no need to spend a lot of money when creating this home away from home. Figure out what your style is and seek out the good deals around town. Don’t break your bank, just be creative with your decorating.
